


We Think We're Invincible, Completely Unbreakable, and Maybe We Are (Isn't It Beautiful, the Way We Fall Apart)

by Huntress8611



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DCU
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Burns, Gen, Good Slade Wilson, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Medical Restraints, Pain, Protective Oliver Queen, Restraints, Slade Wilson Whump, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 18:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20158477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress8611/pseuds/Huntress8611
Summary: “Shit shit shit shit,” Slade muttered, stumbling his way down the foundry’s stairs. He’d made Oliver go back to the foundry an hour ago, told him he’d finish up, and he really hoped the kid hadn’t left yet.“Slade? Oh my god, what happened?” Oliver asked, helping him over to the table.“Got burned. Hurts like a bitch,” he grunted.





	We Think We're Invincible, Completely Unbreakable, and Maybe We Are (Isn't It Beautiful, the Way We Fall Apart)

**Author's Note:**

> In this fic it presumes that both Slade and Oliver were rescued from Lian Yu. You can choose how that came to be. This is set during season 1, the only difference is that instead of just the Hood running around Starling City, there’s also Deathstroke.
> 
> The title of this work is from the song We Fall Apart by We As Human.
> 
> This work fills the square "Burns" on my Bad Things Happen Bingo Card.

“Shit shit shit  _ shit,” _ Slade muttered, stumbling his way down the foundry’s stairs. He’d made Oliver go back to the foundry an hour ago, told him he’d finish up, and he really hoped the kid hadn’t left yet.

“Slade? Oh my god, what happened?” Oliver asked, helping him over to the table.

“Got burned. Hurts like a bitch,” he grunted.

“Okay. Okay, I’ve gotta get you out of this. Sorry man, this is gonna suck,” Oliver said, pulling off Slade’s helmet and cutting him out of the most of the Deathstroke suit, dutifully ignoring the pained hisses he was letting out.

“No shit kid,” Slade managed. All that was left was the section of his shirt that was attached to the massive burn on his shoulder and his pants.

Oliver grabbed a few water bottles, setting them down before he pushed on Slade’s uninjured shoulder until he laid down flat on the metal table. He grabbed the straps that Slade had made him install on the table, knowing that he’d refuse treatment if he was worried about losing control and hurting Oliver. He quickly buckled them around the older man’s wrists and ankles, hating the fact that the man always made him restrain him. He picked up one of the bottles and unscrewed the cap before pausing.

“Ready?”

“Not really, but you’ve gotta do it, so just get it over with,” Slade said angrily, grabbing tightly onto the edge of the table.

“Alright, here we go.”

Oliver slowly poured water over the burned area, which would hopefully make it easier to peel the shirt away from the burn. Slade tensed, letting out a hiss. Oliver used to whole water bottle to soak the fabric and grabbed another, setting it on the table in case he needed more to separate the fabric from the wound.

“Just… can you please take a few deep breaths for me, please? I really don’t want you to pass out,” Oliver asked, softly.

Slade nodded, closing his eyes and taking a few deep, slightly shuddery breaths before opening his eyes again.

“Just do it, kid.”

Oliver carefully lifted the edge of the fabric, peeling it off of a small portion of the wound. He flinched at the muffled whine that slipped through Slade’s teeth, hating the fact that he was causing him pain. He kept going though, slowly peeling of the fabric, until he reached a spot where it wouldn’t come off. He pulled slightly harder, instantly stopping when a scream slipped past Slade’s clenched teeth.

“Sorry, sorry…” he said.

Slade’s breaths were ragged, and Oliver reached up to cup Slade’s cheek with one of his hands.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve gotcha. You’re safe,” Oliver murmured, moving his other hand to run his fingers through the man’s sweaty hair. “C’mon, breathe through it. Deep breaths. You can do it.”

He took a few shallow breaths, struggling to find a rhythm.

“Here, follow me,” Oliver said. “C’mon. In for four, out for four. You can do it.”

Slade tried again, following Oliver’s counts. After a bit, his breathing sounded a lot better, though still a bit strained. Oliver moved his hands back down to Slade’s shoulder, taking the cap off of a new water bottle.

“I’m gonna start again,” he said, not giving Slade any time to respond before pouring the water onto the stuck part of the fabric and slowly peeling it off at the same time.

“Motherfucker,” Slade swore, involuntarily tugging at his restraints.

“Sorry.”

Oliver kept going, managing to get the rest off without any more problems.

“There, I’m done with that part,” he said, tossing the fabric to the floor and dropping the empty water bottle. “Take a bit of a breather.”

“God, I fucking hate this,” Slade groaned.

“I know. It sucks,” Oliver replied, turning to grab a sterile cloth before picking up another water bottle and opening it. “You good to start again? I still need to clean this out and maybe wrap it.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Oliver poured water onto the wound again and gently used the cloth to clean it out.

“Son of a  _ bitch, _ that hurts like a motherfucker.”

Oliver kept going doing his best to just get it over with. He quickly finished cleaning the burn and dropped the bottle and cloth on the floor, grabbing an additional cloth and carefully patting the burn dry before dropping that cloth as well.

“There, I’m done. Just gotta cover it up. You want me to leave you tied for that?”

“Nah, I’m good, kid.”

Oliver undid the restraints around Slade’s ankles and then the ones around his wrists before quickly moving to pin his good shoulder, keeping him from trying to sit up too fast.

“Hold up a second, Slade. You move too fast and it’s gonna pull on that wound,” Oliver said, sliding one hand under Slade’s back and the other under his neck. “Let me help you.”

He carefully and slowly help Slade sit up, keeping one hand behind him to help him stay up until he was sure he wasn’t going to pass out. He stepped away to grab some sterile non-stick gauze and medical tape, bringing them back and setting them next to Slade. He opened the gauze and pressed it against the burn, grabbing the back of Slade’s neck with his free hand when he tried to pull away.

Slade grabbed Oliver’s wrist. He didn’t push it away, just held on.

“You okay?” Oliver asked softly.

“Yeah, just… give me a sec. Hurts like hell.”

“Okay,” Oliver said, squeezing the back of Slade’s neck. Slade leaned into his hand, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths.

“Alright,” Slade said, releasing Oliver’s wrist in favor of grabbing onto the edge of the table.

Oliver picked up the roll of tape, carefully securing all of the edges and adding an extra layer to ensure that the gauze didn’t fall off.

“Alright, I’m done,” he said, setting the roll down on the table. “You wanna just stay here tonight? Might be easier than trying to get home on the bike without aggravating that burn.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Slade said, muffling a yawn.

“C’mon,” Oliver said, helping Slade up. “You need to sleep. Hopefully the Mirakuru will have that healed up by morning.”

“I hope so,” Slade said, leaning against Oliver as they walked over to the mattress they’d dragged down there.

Oliver helped Slade down onto the mattress, putting a few pillows behind his own back and letting Slade use him as a pillow.

“Night, Slade.”

“Night, kid. Thanks.”

“Anytime.”


End file.
